2 workers killed in blast at Detroit-area store

A firefighter surveys the damage after an apparent gas explosion at William C. Franks Furniture store on Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010 in Wayne, Mich. Wayne City Manager John Zech says owner Paul Franks is in critical condition in the burn unit of the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. (AP Photo/Jerry S. Mendoza)
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A firefighter surveys the damage after an apparent gas explosion at William C. Franks Furniture store on Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010 in Wayne, Mich. Wayne City Manager John Zech says owner Paul Franks is in critical condition in the burn unit of the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. (AP Photo/Jerry S. Mendoza)
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Rescue workers prepare to remove the body of an employee who died from the explosion at the William C. Franks Furniture store in Wayne, Mich. Wednesday Dec. 29, 2010. (AP Photo/Detroit News, Elizabeth Conley) DETROIT FREE PRESS OUT, NO SALES, NO MAGS, NO ARCHIVE— AP

Rescue workers prepare to remove the body of an employee who died from the explosion at the William C. Franks Furniture store in Wayne, Mich. Wednesday Dec. 29, 2010. (AP Photo/Detroit News, Elizabeth Conley) DETROIT FREE PRESS OUT, NO SALES, NO MAGS, NO ARCHIVE
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Evelyn Barrett reacts during a news conference at the Wayne Activities and Community Center in Wayne Mich., Wednesday Dec. 29, 2010 after she was evacuated from the area following a gas explosion at the William C. Franks Furniture store in Wayne. Wednesday Dec. 29, 2010. (AP Photo/Detroit News, Elizabeth Conley) DETROIT FREE PRESS OUT, NO SALES, NO MAGS, NO ARCHIVE— AP

Evelyn Barrett reacts during a news conference at the Wayne Activities and Community Center in Wayne Mich., Wednesday Dec. 29, 2010 after she was evacuated from the area following a gas explosion at the William C. Franks Furniture store in Wayne. Wednesday Dec. 29, 2010. (AP Photo/Detroit News, Elizabeth Conley) DETROIT FREE PRESS OUT, NO SALES, NO MAGS, NO ARCHIVE
/ AP

Windows in a local union shop were shattered after an apparent gas explosion at William C. Franks Furniture store half a block away on Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010 in Wayne, Mich. Wayne City Manager John Zech told a news conference that owner Paul Franks is in critical condition in the burn unit of the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. (AP Photo/Jerry S. Mendoza)— AP

Windows in a local union shop were shattered after an apparent gas explosion at William C. Franks Furniture store half a block away on Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010 in Wayne, Mich. Wayne City Manager John Zech told a news conference that owner Paul Franks is in critical condition in the burn unit of the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. (AP Photo/Jerry S. Mendoza)
/ AP

A firefighter on a ladder surveys the damage after an apparent gas explosion at William C. Franks Furniture store on Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010 in Wayne, Mich. Wayne City Manager John Zech says owner Paul Franks is in critical condition in the burn unit of the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. (AP Photo/Jerry S. Mendoza)— AP

A firefighter on a ladder surveys the damage after an apparent gas explosion at William C. Franks Furniture store on Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010 in Wayne, Mich. Wayne City Manager John Zech says owner Paul Franks is in critical condition in the burn unit of the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. (AP Photo/Jerry S. Mendoza)
/ AP

WAYNE, Mich. 
Rescue workers spent all day and into the night combing through the pile of crumpled drywall, twisted metal and broken bits of couches, dining sets and dressers that was once William C. Franks Furniture store in the hope that two buried workers might be found alive, just as the store's owner was.

After more than 12 hours of searching, crews on Wednesday night instead recovered the bodies of a salesman and clerical worker who were killed in the natural gas explosion at the store in downtown Wayne, about 15 miles from Detroit.

Eric Smith, a fire battalion chief who was assisting from Westland, noted the roof was made of concrete, making it difficult for anyone to survive the disaster.

"You always hold out hope, but with that kind of weight, there wasn't much to keep the structure from coming down," Smith said after the second body was removed.

The explosion that happened around 9 a.m. not only destroyed the store, it shattered windows at nearby businesses.

"It sounded like a bomb," said 47-year-old Lisa Johns, who said she was watching television in bed at her home nearby and rushed to the scene. "The power went off and came back on two or three minutes later."

Groups of firefighters entered the building four and five at a time, scraping away at the rubble using long poles with hooks on the end. Bobcats and front-loaders moved around the area. Video footage shot from TV helicopters showed dozens of rescuers working on and around the remains of the store.

Wayne City Manager John Zech said rescuers using search dogs found the body of salesman James Zell, 64, of neighboring Westland, in the debris Wednesday night. Later, Shawn Bell, Wayne's deputy fire marshal, said workers found the body of a woman in the rubble.

The woman's name was not immediately released. Zech had said earlier the missing woman was a clerical worker for the store in her 50s who also was from Westland.

Owner Paul Franks, who was pulled out shortly after the blast, was in serious condition in the burn unit at the University of Michigan's medical center.

Consumers Energy spokeswoman Debra Dodd said the utility believed natural gas was involved, but the cause of the blast has not been determined. The company had received a call of a possible gas leak in the area several hours earlier and a worker had been trying to track down the source when the explosion took place, Dodd said.

Police evacuated homes and businesses near the store. Several residents were offered hotel rooms for the night as a safety precaution. City officials late Wednesday declared a state of emergency in a bid for financial help from the state.

Shortly after the blast, from beneath the debris, flames and spewing water, Jennifer Gietzen, 36, heard yelling and saw some movement.